Spring Break
Myers hall hosts AIDS quilt, MANNA
By: Craig Eisenberger
Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: News
Originally published: 3/4/05 at 12:14 PM EST
Last update: 3/4/05 at 12:18 PM EST
Originally published: 3/4/05 at 12:14 PM EST
Last update: 3/4/05 at 12:18 PM EST
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Fleming, who graduated from the University with a Master's degree in Library Science and Information Programs in 1986, was diagnosed with HIV Oct. 1993 and died Jan. 1995 from AIDS. Present at the event was Client Services Coordinator for MANNA and sister of Alan, Sara Fleming.
Schoen claimed that Sara offered to help with the event and that the quilt that would be made at the event would be sent to the organization to be placed on display.
Sara spoke fondly of her brother, saying that the most important thing to him was education, not just in his major, but also in his illness.
"He wanted people to hear him and he was open and honest about his illness. Anyone who could learn from him ... he was all for it."
"You don't hear about [prevention] in the media like you used to," Sara continued.
She even noted a decline in the message and in education over the past few years, while the number of cases is still increasing. She advised to "use condoms because you can never know."
Sara encourages students to find out as much as they can.
"Educate yourselves as much as possible," she told the crowd of several dozen students, along with members of her family.
Still, she said that getting tested early if you are at risk is important. Her brother only received testing because he had developed symptoms.
"He went to the doctors and they did an HIV test to find out what was wrong with him. People can be perfectly healthy and well for up to 10 years before symptoms show."
When asked directly the question of "straight or gay," Sara responded that "it doesn't matter." Sara described her brother as a jokester, one with a good sense of humor and not a practical joker.
"He had a way of making people feel welcome," she said. "If they were shy, he had a way of bringing them out of their shell."
 Media Credit: Morgen Rossmair Alexandra Schoen convinced her peers to take part in making an AIDS quilt in Myers dorm March 3 . The quilt was in the memory of Alan Fleming. |
After her main speech, while participants worked on the quilt, Sara talked about her experience with MANNA and a particular case that stuck out in her mind. Sara described the girl as being 18, a college freshmen, and someone with a "good head on her shoulder." Still that did not help her from getting infected with full blown AIDS with an advanced strain; the girl met someone who was "not completely honest" and was HIV positive but did not tell her otherwise .
"Her life is being cut short before it begins." Sara commented.
"One choice that wasn't well thought out can affect the future."
Sara also indicated that a common mistake among those with HIV/AIDS is that they feel safe having intercourse with other infected persons. This creates a problem because people fail to realize that there are several different strains of the virus and having multiple strains in your body makes it possible to get resistant strains of the virus.
"Another misconception is medications," Sara said.
She described people with an "I'm cured" feeling as being uneducated in that the medicines are very powerful and very toxic. She said that they come with a "hefty price tag" in the form of lung, kidney or heart disease and it is important that medications be taken on time because one missed dose can give the virus a chance to fight back and become resistant. Still, MANNA helps individuals infected with the virus and works to make their lives better.
